The Body Shop - Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask*

After my recent little Body Shop haul in which I purchased the Glow Protect Vitamin C lotion  I knew I wanted to grab myself some more bits from the range to try out. That opportunity presented itself in for the form of a raffle on a Facebook group I’m part of, where participants could purchase ‘tickets’ in the form of Marvel characters for the chance to win a prize. I decided to enter, and managed to snag my two chosen characters; agent Romanov and Deadpool. Luck was on myside and with the help of Deadpool I won the prize of a full size mask and a full size peel of my choice.

 

Being of an oily skin type I went for the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask, as the consultant advised me that this was the most suitable mask within their range for my various skin needs. I had a little look on the Body Shop website before it arrived and found out that this mask has been formulated without parabens, paraffin, silicone or mineral oil. Packed with bamboo charcoal from the Himalayan foothills and green tea leaves from Japan, this face mask is said to draw out impurities and refine the appearance of pores for healthy, glowing looking skin.

                                         

The mask is 100% vegan and described as a ‘tingling’ mask, so I knew to expect there to be some sensation in my skin when I came to use it. Charcoal is a key ingredient in many products designed to remove oil and dirt because the charcoal itself absorbs oil and bacteria that it makes contact with. In fact I have a charcoal based powder for my teeth for that exact result. At £18 for 75ml or just £6 for 15ml I would consider it to be very affordable. I have a friends birthday coming up later in the year and I’m putting together a little hamper of treats for her, so a small selection of 15ml masks will make a perfect addition to her other gifts.

Given how well the Vitamin C Glow Protect lotion has done for me I was excited to try this mask out, and when I did I wasn’t left wanting. A little goes a very long way, so this pot should last me quite some time, especially as I like to rotate through my stock of masks depending on what my skin needs at the time. This particular mask is suitable for use 2-3 times a week, but I would always suggest you observe and respond to how your skin feels, especially as this mask doubles as a gentle exfoliator.

The packaging is attractive and simple, with darkened glass to protect the potency of the product inside from potential light damage.

As I mentioned before, the mask is described as a tingling mask so I expected there to be exactly that when I applied the mask to my freshly cleansed skin. This wasn’t really the case, and I would say that the mask had more of a cooling sensation than a tingling one. Either way, it wasn’t an unpleasant or irritating feeling and subsided fairly quickly as the mask began to dry. I didn’t need a huge amount to cover my whole face and the product is easy to distribute evenly, although I was using a mask brush and not my fingers which always helps.

I can sometimes find masks, in particular clay based masks slightly annoying when they a drying out and bits of product flake off and make a mess at over the place. I was pleased to see that this one stayed put on my skin, where it should be and I think part of that is down to only a small amount being needed, rather than having a thick layer of product.  

Masks such as this one can sometimes be a little difficult to remove but a trick I’ve learned is to wet the mask again before you start to remove it. It softens the mask and allows it to come away from the skin without having to scrub hard it, which can cause aggravation to the skin.  I found even without wetting the mask it still didn’t really require a lot of work to remove and was quite happy to come away onto the damp flannel I was using so there was no mess in my sink either. I always cleanse my skin after a mask to make sure I’ve removed everything from my skin, and I found that there was very little mask left on my skin to clear up.

Products aimed at treating oily skin can sometimes leave mine feeling a little dry and dehydrated, but I found after this mask that my skin felt soft and smooth. My excess oil had all been removed leaving my skin looking matte, but it hadn’t left me feeling dried out. I followed up with my regular toner and serums but didn’t feel the need to apply any kind of moisturiser afterwards, which was a nice change. I had no tightness or stiffness in my skin, and had it been the morning could have just applied make up straight away and carried on with my day.

My pores looked slightly smaller, especially the larger pores around my nose, and I found that the positive effects of this mask lasted for a few days rather than being gone by the next morning. The mask is certainly gentle enough on my skin that I could use a few times a week, to perhaps even every other day if I wanted to, and given how little is needed it would still last a good length of time.

All in all, this has become one of my most reached to masks over the past few weeks, and having never tried any of the Body Shop masks previously it’s safe to say that I’m hooked on them and will be getting myself some more.

Have you tried any Body Shop masks before? What did you think?

* This item was gifted to me as a prize in a Body Shop online raffle. This was not affiliated with Em’s World Blog in any way, and there was no obligation to post. Please see my disclaimer for more information regarding gifted products.